Washing-machine.



, W. D. WHITNEY.

WASHING MACHINE. Y APPLICATION FILED 00T. 14,1907'.

900,809, Patented Oct. 13,1908.

a SHEETS-SHEET 1.

@vv-mmm l y W. D. WHITNEY. i

WASHING MACHINE. APPLIoATIoN FILED 00T. 14,1907.

Patented Oct. 13,1908.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WILLIE D. WITNEY, OF HOLLEY, NEW YORK.

WASHING-MACHIN E Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 14, 1907. Serial No. 397,400.

Patented Oct. 18, 1908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLE D. .WHITNEL a citizen of the United States, residing at Holley, in the county of Orleans and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Washing-Machine, of which the following is a speciiication. Y

This invention relates to washing machines, of that general type in which the clothes are alternately squeezed and released for the purpose of forcing the suds therethrough.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a machine of very simple and economical construction in which the clothes may be compressed and released to such an extent as t0 insure thorough cleansing within a short period of time.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine of this class in which a pair of squeezing plates are mounted for reciprocatory movement within a revoluble or oscillatory clothes container, said plates being arranged to move in a direction transverse'to the axis of rotation of the container.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine of this type in which the squeezing plates serve not only as compression members, but act, also, -as inclined planes along which the clothes may move by gravity for immersion in the suds.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a machine of this class in which a pair of compression members are so arranged that they maintain absolute-parallelism with each other, but which move to varying angular positions with respect to the walls of the casing.

With these and other .objects in view, as will more fully hereinafter appear, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changesin the-form, proportions, size and minor details of the structure may be made without `departing from the spirit or sacricing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of a washing machine constructed in accordance with the'invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view of the same on the line 1-1 of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the machine proper.

with the squeezing plates separated to their fullest extent on the line 2 2 of Fig. 3. Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the plates at the limit of the squeezing movement. Fig. 5 is a detail view illustrating a modied construction of squeezing plate.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

The working parts of the machine are su ported on a suitable frame which may c formed of wood, or iron, and in the present instant comprises a pair ofside frames 10 thatV are connected by cross bars 11. The side frames are provided with clamps 15 for the reception of the outer ends of short shafts 16 that are disposed in axial alinement with each other and extend through the 'end walls 17 of the clothes container or casin 18. To

the end walls 17 are secured metal ic collars 19 -for the purpose of preventing undue wear on the walls of the openings of the casing To the hub of one of the collars 19 is secured an operating member of any suitable construction, the device in the present instance com rising a handled crank 21, the movement o which is limited to an arc of 1800, the frame being provided with stops 21 with which the crank'engages at the completion of each stroke, and it will be understood that while the full limit of movement is most desirable, the machine may be o erated and the clothes cleansed by a smal oscillatory movement through a lesser arc.

Formed in the inner faces of the end walls 17 are pairs of diametrically opposed grooves 23 that are arranged for the reception of pins or anti-friction rollers 24 that project from the outer ends of arms 25.- The inner ends of said arms are provided with openings for the reception of crank pins 26 projecting from a double crankpin or disk 27 rigidly secured to each of the short shafts 16. The outer ends of the arms are provided with flanges 29 which are secured to the opposite ends of squeezing plates 30, these plates being provided with numerous perforations 27 for the'passage of the suds.

The casing proper may be formed of wood, and in the present instance is shown as of generally rectangular form, being provided at the top with an opening that may be closed by a removable cap or cover 31. At the bottom is a drain tap 32 through which the suds may be drawn off at the completion of the washing operation.

After the clothes and suds have been placed in the container, the parts being in the position shown in Fig. 3, the container is op# erated by means of the handled crank 20. As the container is turned, the walls of the groove 23 will carry the rollers or pins 24 around in such manner that the squeezing plates will be turned with the rollers or pins 24 as axes, so that said plates will assume an angle with respect to the side walls of the container, while remaining perfectly parallel with each other. The most pronounced angular position is when the container has been moved through an arc of o, at which time the lowermost of the plates will to some extent serve as an inclined plane down which the clothes may slide. From this 'point on to the completion of the full movement of 180o the angular position of the plates with respect to the side walls of the container grows less, and at the extreme limit of inward movement the plates are perfectly parallel with each other, as shown in Fig. 4. On the reverse movement the plates will again assume angularposition with respect to the side walls, and as the clothes are released by the spreading` movement of the plates they will be directed downward into the suds by the lowermost of said plates, thus facilitating fresh saturation.

In the construction shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, each end of each of the plates is provided with an operating arm 25, and in order that the full 180o movement of the device may be completed, one side of each arm is recessed to receive the crank pin end of the other, as will be evident on reference to Fig. 4. In some cases, however, it may be necessary to employ but a single arm 25 as shown in Fig. 5, and in this case the free end of the plate is provided with an auxiliary roller or pin 24l to enter the guiding groove at the end wall of the container.

I claim l. In a Washing machine, a clothes containing casing movable about an axis, a pair of reciprocatory squeezing members arranged Within the casing, and of less width than the casing to permit the clothes to fall back into the suds after each squeezing operation, and means 'for reciprocating said members in a direction transverse to the axis of movement of the casing.

2. In a Washing machine, a clothes containing casing movable about an axis, said casing being imperforate and arranged to hold the water and detergent, a pan' of perforated squeezing members arranged within the casing, and of less width than said :asing to permit the clothes to fall for fresh saturation after each squeezing operation, and an operating means for moving said members toward and from each other and maintaining them in parallel relation, andV at the same time varying the angular position of said members with respect to the sides ol' the easing.

3. In a washing machine, a clothes con.- tainer, movable about an axis, the end walls of said container being provided with grooves radiating from such axis, a pair of perforated squeezing members having projections entering said grooves, a pair of stationary crank pins extending within the container, and arms connecting the crank pins to the squeezing members, whereby on movementof the container about its axis, the members are reciprocated in a direction transverse to such axis.

4. In a washing machine, a clothes container movable about an axis, a pair ol' crank pins arranged within each end of the. container, the end walls of said container having grooves radiating `from the. axis, arms extending from the crank pins and proh vided with ilanges, and projections at their rear ends, the projections entering the grooves, and perforated squeezing members rigidly secured to the ilanges.

5. In a washing machine, a frame, s, pair of axially alining stationarv shafts :arried thereby, an approximately rectangular clothes container, the end falls of which have openings for the passage of the shafts, double cranks carried by the shafts and provided with pins, the inner faces of the. end walls of the container' having grooves that radiate from the axes of the shafts, a pair of perforated squeezing members, flanged arms to which said members are 'Iirmly secured, the arms being connected to the crank pins, and projections extending from said arms and entering the grooves.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto allixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

IVILLIE D. Illllll'lNlCY.

Iitnesses:

J. Ross CoLrroUN, JN0. E. PARKER.

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